1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed toward an automotive vehicle having a power-actuated ramp.
2. Description of the Related Art
Automotive vehicles such as sedans, sport-utility vehicles (SUVs), mini-vans and “cross-over” vehicles are not designed to accommodate passengers with disabilities. More specifically, these types of automotive vehicles are not compliant with the regulations provided by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) 42 U.S.C. 12101 et seq. By way of example, persons with disabilities or persons requiring the use of a mobility aid (e.g. wheelchairs) cannot board/alight traditionally designed vehicles with relative ease due to spatial constraints of the vehicle's entry opening, seating configurations and/or contoured interior floor.
Retrofitting traditionally designed automotive vehicles to accommodate persons with disabilities and/or mobility aids increases the vehicle purchase price. The increased price can prevent such persons from purchasing an automotive vehicle that is acceptable for their individual use, thereby forcing such persons to rely on commercial and/or municipal paratransit services. Additionally, the increased price of a retrofit automotive vehicle reduces the number of acceptable vehicles that municipalities and/or commercial transportation service companies can make available for use by the general public.
Furthermore, retrofitting a traditionally designed automotive vehicle can result in an unsightly vehicle appearance and also impede certain functional aspects of the vehicle. By way of example, retrofitting traditionally designed automotive vehicles can include providing a flat interior floor by installing a custom subfloor or increasing the interior height by installing an aftermarket roof. These retrofit techniques change the OEMs' interior and exterior vehicle aesthetics in a manner that is often considered unattractive. Further by way of example, traditionally designed automotive vehicles are often retrofitted with a “draw-bridge” ramp or a vertical lift mechanism to assist boarding/alighting by persons requiring a mobility aid. However, these boarding/alighting assistance devices often block an entry point to conventional ingress/egress. Blocking an ingress/egress entry point is a practical impossibility for municipal and/or commercial transit services that must provide transportation for disabled and non-disabled persons with the same vehicle.
Thus, there is a need in the art for an automotive vehicle that is designed with ADA regulations in mind. Additionally, there is a need in the art for an automotive vehicle that provides vehicle boarding/alighting to persons with disabilities and/or mobility aids as well as conventional ingress/egress to persons without disabilities. Specifically, there is a need in the art for an automotive vehicle having a power-actuated ramp.